


i'll be home, in a little while;

by unintentionallyangsty



Series: drive the dark things away; [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brodinsons, Brother Feels, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Thor (2011), Protective Thor (Marvel), Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:14:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26852773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unintentionallyangsty/pseuds/unintentionallyangsty
Summary: Pre-Thor. While on a quest in the forests of Alfheim, Thor and Loki are apprehended and abducted unexpectedly.As Thor frantically attempts to think of a way to escape their confines, Loki begins to fall ill as the small space begins to heat as the summer day progresses.(Whumptober 2020 Prompt #5 Fill: Failed Escape).
Relationships: Loki & Thor, Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: drive the dark things away; [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949623
Comments: 10
Kudos: 153
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	i'll be home, in a little while;

**Author's Note:**

> Loki & Thor. Pre-Thor (2011).
> 
> day 5 babeyy!! (may be full of mistakes _babeyyyy_ )

Twelve hours, Thor thought dismally as he watched the sun beginning to rise on the horizon just outside the small hut they were being kept in. 

It had been roughly twelve hours, now, since he and Loki had been apprehended on their small expedition outside of Asgard, hastily knocked unconscious, and stuffed unceremoniously into a wretched clay hut, hardly tall or wide enough for them to move without bumping into each other. 

Not that they could have anyway, Thor mentally conceded, given that their attackers had seen fit to sit the two of them back to back before binding their hands and arms together with an uncomfortably coarse rope. 

For what felt like the millionth time in as many days, Thor lamented his decision to inform their mother and father that they planned on being gone for three days, at the least.

Though, in his defense, a simple quest romping through the forests of Alfheim for surveying purposes had not seemed like a particularly dangerous idea, going into it, so much so that he’d hardly bothered to bring a weapon along, besides a small sword clasped at his hip. 

Again, he mourned the absence of Mjolnir, left carefully placed in Asgard’s Vaults, rather than hung from his belt, as was usual. 

In truth, the business of the journey itself was hardly more than a day or two’s work, a fact which Thor was certain the All-Father was more than aware. 

They’d been granted a full week’s worth of freedom with no argument, however, and Thor had intended to take full advantage of it, if only to get Loki out of the musty confines of the palace and into some _sunshine_ , for once. 

His brother had been spending far too much time holed up in his rooms or the library recently, after all, usually hunched over a desk with at least three books open before him as he hastily scrawled in his leather bound journal. 

And, though Thor knew that his brother made a point of remaining indoors with a good deal more frequency than was normal, during the summer months, he had practically begged Loki to accompany him on the journey to Alfheim. 

“It’s nearly autumn anyway, brother!” he had insisted with a pleading frown. “Surely it’s not still too hot out there for you!” 

Loki had, for the most part, continued to ignore him, not offering another verbal rejection, though his silence had spoken volumes. 

Exasperated, Thor had played the last card he could think of before he gave up the efforts as a lost cause. 

“I only thought,” he had mused with an exaggerated pout, “That this might be one of our last chances to spend time together, before the coronation.” 

The coronation in question was, admittedly, over six months away, and Thor knew that Loki was well as aware of the fact as he was. 

Still, he added, “After that, I don’t know how much time I’ll have for our little journeys, busy as I’ll be kept with Kingly duties.” he had sighed loftily, then. “And how I’ll miss our quests.” 

To his surprise, something in Loki’s expression had shifted, a brief shadow flickering behind his eyes, before he carefully schooled his features and rolled his eyes histrionically. 

“Fine,” he had agreed, after a beat, and closed the book in his hands with a _snap_. “Though when something inevitably goes awry, I fully expect you to be the one to fix it.” 

And oh, how Thor wished that he had not spoken the words, now.

Or, if not that, that he would not have pestered Loki quite so thoroughly into accompanying him. 

Then, at least, his brother would have been spared the capture. 

Speaking of which…

“Loki,” Thor hissed, turning to glance over his shoulder in order to see as much of his brother as he could, out the corner of his eye. 

In reply, Loki hummed in something like acknowledgement, and leaned back just enough for Thor to see the side of his face. 

His face, and the fresh cut just above his left brow that was still sluggishly weeping blood. 

It had been the worst of the injuries they had sustained, oddly enough, and had only been struck by one of the guards posted outside the shack at Thor’s hasty attempt at escape, when they’d first been captured. 

And, when it came down to it, it had been Thor who had managed to get a few effective swift kicks in, in an attempt to take down the guards. Not Loki. 

And yet Loki had been the one to pay for his foolishness. 

Almost, Thor thought as a small chill crawled up his spine, as if their attackers knew innately that Loki’s pain would hurt Thor more than his own ever could. 

And true, a strike to the temple was hardly a hefty price, though Thor could not have stopped the flare of righteous anger he felt sparking to life within his chest each time he saw the wound, even if he had tried. 

And, if the gash alone was not enough to send Thor into a fit of concern, Loki’s health had begun to flag obviously in the past few hours, the heat building in the small space making him lethargic and tetchy. 

“Are you alright?” Thor inquired, now, shaking away the rage he could feel pulsing at the back of his mind in favor of pressing Loki (again) about his well being. 

For he knew full well that, were his brother anything less than “ _fine_ ,”, Loki was no more likely to offer the information up freely than Muspelheim was to freeze over. 

“I’m _fine_ ,” Loki muttered, sounding petulant and mullish, though well aware enough to quell the worry between Thor’s ribs, for now. 

“Good,” Thor nodded slightly, though he could not ignore the guilt that was quickly beginning to occupy the space his worry had recently vacated. 

“This isn’t--” Loki trailed off, and swallowed audibly before continuing, his voice stronger, now, “This isn’t your fault.” 

Still a bit unnerved at Loki’s uncanny ability to pick up on his emotions, in spite of the thousands of times he’d done it before, Thor simply hummed noncommittally. 

“I’ll get us out of here.” Thor reassured, after a moment, though he would admit that the promise sounded slightly hollow, after having been spoken about a hundred times in the past several hours. 

Seeming to share the opinion, Loki sighed audibly, his shoulders rising against Thor’s before he fell back against him with a bit more weight. 

“Thor,” he chided, quietly, “If our, as of now, mostly absent abductees allowed us to set even a foot out of place, I would be surprised.” 

Thor grumbled a bit beneath his breath, though he had to concede the fact. 

While their kidnappers had, for the most part, left them to rot within the small hut in solitude, the guards who had remained unfalteringly outside the space had the habit of snapping or bellowing threats, if one of them even sneezed too loudly. 

They were clearly still sore about their bruised shins, Thor considered with a small scowl. 

“And Heimdall has not heard your call?” Loki inquired, effectively drawing Thor back from his thoughts, his tone slightly strained. 

“He has not.” Thor informed, with a low growl. 

Though a shout to Heimdall would hardly be an advisable move, at the moment, Thor had attempted periodically over the past twelve hours to capture the Gatekeeper’s attention with his increasingly frantic mental exclamations. 

And, if that didn’t work, small, pleading whispers.

So far, to his dismay, it seemed that the efforts had not at all been effective. 

“Have you tried calling him?” Thor asked Loki, in an effort to avoid dwelling too long on his personal failures. 

“I--” Behind him, Thor felt Loki stiffen, before his brother hastily continued, “I think that you might have better luck.” he huffed a small, near humorless laugh before tacking on, “He likes you better, at any rate.” 

“He does not.” Thor argued automatically, though in truth he could not hope to understand the Gatekeeper’s favors or motivations, at the best of times. “He’s sworn to protect the crown, and that includes you.” 

“ _Some_ members of the crown.” Loki muttered, so low Thor could hardly hear the words. 

He did hear them, however, and felt something like irritation building within his chest--

Only to exhale a long breath, his eyes fluttering closed as he willed himself to calm. 

Becoming irritated with Loki, as easy as it could be, at times, would do nothing to help their current situation. 

Besides, he reminded himself, Loki was more likely than not simply throwing barbs as an outlet for his own mounting frustration. 

“Do you think--” Thor began, in an attempt to change the conversation to a more agreeable topic, only to be interrupted by Loki falling forward slightly, causing the ropes to tug uncomfortably at his wrists. 

“Loki?” he called, a little frantically, when Loki did not offer an explanation for the movement. “What’s wrong?” 

“N--nothing,” Loki hissed, though his voice was far more subdued than it had been even moments before. 

Thor felt himself frown. “ _Brother…_ ”

“It’s a headache.” Loki dismissed, and hissed lowly through his teeth as if the words themselves had caused him slight discomfort. “Nothing to concern yourself with.” 

“You’re unwell.” Thor countered, the furrow between his brows growing as his stomach sank slightly at the thought. 

“I’m fine,” Loki repeated, though the words were far less convincing now than they had been even moments before. “I just--It’s warm.”

Something within Thor twisted slightly at the words. 

“You don’t feel warm.” he informed, leaning slightly backward to press his back closer to Loki’s. “I don’t think you have a fever.” 

“What a relief.” Loki drawled, though his tone remained mild. 

“Do you--” Thor shifted a little, and noted the way Loki stilled slightly when their knuckles brushed. “Do you need anything?” 

“If you’re offering.” Loki snapped, a little waspishly, “Would you be so kind as to ask one of the guards for some fine wine? And how about a bath, and a comfortable bed while they’re at it?” 

“ _Loki_ ,” Thor reprimanded, though he took care to keep his tone from growing too irritated. 

There was a beat, before Loki deflated somewhat, and he fell back to press slightly further against Thor. 

“Water,” he conceded, after a long moment of silence, and sounded almost ashamed at the admission. 

Thor felt his heart twist violently again, and was unable to ignore the anger crackling within his chest, now. 

So far, they had been offered no food from their captors, and only a few sips of water each. 

On his own, Thor knew that he would have been able to hold out at least another week. 

Loki, however? 

Loki was young, however much he considered himself otherwise, and clearly unwell, at that. 

Even now, Thor could easily remember a time where Loki would fall ill after even an hour of playing in their mother’s gardens during the worst of the summer, falling to the ground in the throes of an uncontrollable shaking fit as his tiny fists clenched and his skin flushed drastically.

In recent years, of course, Loki had learned to temper the tendency, casting quick spells to keep himself cool and, when the heat grew too intense for even that, making certain to stay within the confines of the palace during the height of the afternoon. 

Now, however, whatever efforts he had made to fight the intensity of the heat slowly beginning to build within the hut were clearly wavering.

The thought firmly in mind, Thor frowned determinedly before turning to face the door. 

“Please!” he cried, ignoring the way Loki tensed behind him. “Water, please!

“What are you thinking?” Loki hissed, and shifted in order to elbow Thor roughly in the side of his ribs. 

“Please!” Thor repeated over Loki’s complaints. “My brother is ill. He needs help!” 

“If you’re planning on throwing me,” Loki warned, lowly. “I’d like to take this moment to remind you that you’d be going down with me.” 

“Hush,” Thor commanded, automatically, beneath his breath, before something about the words sparked an idea at the back of his mind. 

“Shut up!” one of the guards outside the hut snapped, and pounded at the weak wood of the door for good measure. 

“Loki,” Thor murmured, low enough that there was little chance of their being overhead. 

“I thought you wanted me to _‘hush’_ ,” 

“Stop.” Thor growled. “And listen. Can you conjure a dagger?” 

He was a little startled by the fact that he hadn’t thought of such a solution hours earlier, though his irritation at the realization was somewhat dulled by the fact that Loki seemingly had not, either. 

Unless… 

Thor felt his heart rate accelerate slightly, as the implication behind the realization began to sink in. 

Rather than give voice to the fear, however, he simply inquired again, “Loki?” 

“I--” Loki faltered, “I don’t…” he trailed off, though the admission hiding just behind his hesitation was clear enough. 

“You can’t, can you?” Thor questioned, softly now. 

Behind him, he could feel Loki bristle slightly, though his next words were not nearly as venomous as Thor had anticipated. 

“I seem to be...struggling in that arena,” he coughed, slightly. “At present.”

“ _Loki_ ,” Thor breathed, his stomach twisting at the words. “How long--” he faltered, unable to voice the question that had risen to the forefront of his mind. 

How long had it been, that Loki had been feeling unwell enough to even prod at his Seiðr? 

Though Thor had never been specifically trained in the art himself, he knew from both their mother’s recount and Loki himself that, were a host to attempt to perform more complicated works with their Seiðr while unwell, the aftereffects could be potentially disastrous. 

Moreso for the host, than anything else. 

And, while Loki could be foolhardy and stubborn at best, his Seiðr was historically the one battleground on which he refused to cut corners. 

“How long?” Loki parroted with a small and bitter laugh, only to fall abruptly into another small fit of coughing. 

“Long--long enough.” he gasped out, at last. 

“I--” Thor faltered, his stomach turning again. “I didn’t--” 

“Oh, stop.” Loki reprimanded. “It’s nothing to fret over.” 

“Still,” Thor argued immediately with a small shake of his head. “I didn’t realize. You’re _ill_ , and injured and--” 

“It’s a _cut_ , Thor.” Loki snapped. “Get ahold of yourself.” 

The words had their desired effect, for Thor paused, and allowed his eyes to slip closed, inhaling a deep breath through his nose as he attempted to gather his greatly scattered thoughts. 

And, as it turned out, the resulting clarity left him with but one course of action in mind. 

“I’m fine.” he echoed Loki’s own words, after a moment, and felt his brother relax slightly against him. 

“Good,” Loki muttered. “Now that we’re both in a more rational place--” 

“ _Guards!_ ” Thor’s hoarse cry interrupted him, his lungs burning with the force of the yell. “Please! My brother is dying!” 

“Thor!” Loki cried, seemingly forgetting to keep his tone under control. “What in the _Nine_?” 

“Please!” Thor continued, unheeding. “He’s _dying!_ ” 

There was a beat, before the small wooden door to the shack creaked open, and one of the guards stepped in with a small frown on his face. “What--” 

Before he could finish the sentence, Thor lunged, one knee rising up to catch the man at his groin and, taking advantage of his pained grunt, Thor slammed his forehead into the guard’s face, smirking slightly at the unmistakable crunch of a nose breaking beneath the impact. 

“Thor!” Loki yelped, his heels dragging in the dirt as he was hefted as high onto Thor’s shoulder as he could manage, not dissimilar to a pack. “What are you--” 

“Help!” Thor yelped, stumbling out of the door and into the near-blinding light of the early morning. 

To his left, the second guard moved forward, the confusion on his face giving way to a steely rage as he raised his sword to strike. 

Deftly, Thor dodged to the right to avoid the blow, cringing slightly as he felt Loki’s leg hit the ground below at the movement. 

“Is that all you’ve got?!” Thor demanded, smirking at the guard’s growing ire--

Only to still abruptly, the cold edge of a blade suddenly pressed to the pulse point at his neck. 

“Your Highness,” a voice (one Thor belatedly recognized as one of their initial abductees) hissed, the knife jerking slightly closer and drawing a thin bead of blood that dribbled down Thor’s neck at the movement. “I’d suggest that you move back inside, now.”

Breaths leaving him in harsh pants, now, Thor moved to acquiesce to the command, if only because of his being pointedly aware that all that stood between he and the holder of the blade was Loki’s worryingly limp form. 

As he stepped reluctantly over the threshold and back into the hut, something shoved roughly at Thor from behind, sending him sprawling to the ground with Loki’s weight landing solidly atop him. 

“You really don’t learn, do you?” the voice of their attacker sounded from above, before grunting and delivering a swift kick to what Thor assumed might be Loki’s side, if his brother’s subsequent grunt was anything to go by. 

And, before Thor could so much as react, the man surged forward to grab Loki by the hair, and yanked viciously upward to drag the two of them forward a step. 

Behind Thor, Loki hissed audibly, though even now he did not cry out and, though Thor could not see it, he could imagine how his brother’s face might be pinched into a defiant scowl. 

“You’re--” Loki wheezed, sounding more winded than Thor could remember hearing him in a long while. “You’re pathetic.” 

There was a growl, then, followed by the smack of the back of a hand striking something solid. 

Loki grunted, his teeth clacking together audibly, and Thor felt the rage within him flicker back to life at the sound. 

“What do you want?!” he roared, grunting as he struggled against to free himself from their bonds, again. 

“Want?” the man seemed to laugh, the detachment behind the sound chilling Thor’s blood, slightly. “Why, Your Highness--” 

Before he could continue, there was a low rumbling, and Thor felt something within him surge in what might have been hope as the very earth below them seemed to shudder. 

“Thor?” Loki inquired, weakly. 

“Not me.” Thor returned, somewhat breathlessly. 

Suddenly, and before either of them could speak again, the almost blinding, unmistakable light of the Bifrost illuminated the shack through the still open doorway. 

Relief flooding in his chest, now, Thor turned to clench his eyes shut against the sudden light, and felt Loki do the same behind him. 

Above them, the man who’d been holding them down gave a surprised shout, before the door to the hut was fairly broken down, and at least fifteen Einherjar swarmed in to cut the man down before he could so much as gasp in surprise. 

Still heaving for breath, Thor managed to breathe something of a thanks to one of the guards who cut swiftly at the bonds tying him and Loki together, before he turned to lay on his side and face his brother. 

Almost simultaneously, Loki fell to the dirt below with a sharp exhale, his features twisted into a grimace as he raised a hand to wipe irritably at the blood now flowing freely from his nose. 

“Loki!” Thor cried, and lurched forward to place a hand on Loki’s stiffly held shoulder. “Are you--” 

“ _Fine_ ,” Loki snapped past the heel of his palm, though the force behind the words was slightly undermined by his sharp gasp as the blood pooling in his palm began to dribble to the floor below. “ _Shit_ ,” 

“He’s hurt!” Thor cried, and levelled a glare at once of the immobile Einherjar until they hastily leapt forward to produce a rag. 

“ _Thank_ you.” Thor grumbled, before gently pressing the cloth to Loki’s still bleeding nose. 

“Thor--” Loki hissed, his mouth twisting into a small frown.

“Hush.” Thor chided, gently, and continued to dab at Loki’s bloodied nose past his brother’s weakly batting hands. “Shut up, Loki.” 

“As you wish, highness.” Loki relented with a mighty roll of his eyes, though he did stop fighting, to Thor’s relief. 

“Your Highness?” one of the Einherjar spoke, tentatively. “We need to return to Asgard. Heimdall is waiting, and--” 

“Alright,” Thor interrupted with a small nod, before he returned his attention to Loki’s somewhat drawn features. 

“Are you alright?” he inquired, quietly enough that no one beyond the two of them would hear. 

“I--” Loki began, his mouth hanging open for a minute before he closed it with a click of his teeth. 

“Right,” Thor murmured, and raised a hand to run it briefly, once, through Loki’s now slightly tangled curls. “All the more reason to return.” 

To his surprise, Loki simply hummed, and his eyes fell shut as he fairly leaned into Thor’s touch with a small exhale. 

And, even as they were helped to stand, and led back into the pale sunlight and toward the Bifrost landing sight, Loki did not make an effort to leave his side.

“It’ll be okay, Loki.” Thor whispered, when Loki coughed and swayed slightly as they stood, waiting for Heimdall to bring them back to Asgard. 

Bring them back home, Thor thought with no small amount of relief. 

When Loki did not react beyond a small frown, however, Thor felt his heart sinking at the sight. 

“Loki?” he murmured, “Truly. It’s alright.”

He hesitated, then, before tentatively stretching a hand out--

Only to pause, his fingers hovering bare inches from Loki’s shoulder.

When Loki did not tense or flinch back at the movement, however, Thor moved forward to rest his hand against the side of Loki’s neck, noting how his brother’s pulse fluttered slightly beneath his thumb as the air above them began to hum with energy.

“It’ll be alright.” he promised, as the glow of the Bifrost began to engulf them. 

It was only then that Loki turned to meet his gaze, his own eyes wide and slightly fearful as they flickered over Thor’s face, as if in search of an answer to some unspoken question. 

In reply, Thor simply squeezed his brother’s neck gently, and noted with some pleasure the small, hopeful smile that appeared on Loki’s face at the movement. 

“We’ll be alright.” 

**Author's Note:**

> two updates in one day?? whack. 
> 
> (in all honesty, i kind of figured i'd skip today in favor of uploading the last chapter of 'never doubt;'. look at me now). 
> 
> feel free to find me at my [tumblr!](http://littlekinng.tumblr.com)


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